After inking a two-year contract extension, Brisbane prop Ben Talty is living a dream that has already exceeded his expectations.
The 26-year-old was battling away for North Sydney in the NSW Cup in June and is now on the cusp of playing in an NRL grand final after being upgraded to the top 30 through until the end of 2027.
It's the rags-to-riches story Talty has embraced as he prepares to play either Canterbury or Penrith in the preliminary final at Suncorp Stadium on September 28.
"I never thought this would come true. When I came to the Broncos all I wanted to do was scrape in and maybe play one NRL game," Talty said.
"To be here and in contention to play in a prelim, it is so hard to describe the way I am feeling.
"I was offered the contract a couple of weeks ago and as soon as it came in front of me I signed it straight away. Brisbane is where I want to be. It is security. I can just focus on football now."
Talty said the new deal was "absolutely" a weight off his shoulders, after joining the club initially on a train-and-trial contract.
"This is all I ever wanted to do, and now the club has put faith in me it is such a great feeling," he said.
Talty has been a revelation for the Broncos off the bench, scoring three tries and winning eight of his nine games. He has averaged 27 minutes per match, and averages 70m and 15 tackles in his powerhouse stints.
The former Muswellbrook Ram has gone to heights he was always capable of but didn't believe he would.
"Mindset and just having confidence in what I am doing is probably the main thing, but it is the people I am playing around, like Patty Carrigan and Payne Haas. They are making my job easier," Talty said.
Lock forward Carrigan will miss the preliminary final, and Talty knows what that means.
"No one can replace Patty, so everyone is going to have to step up in that department in the middle, but we've got the players to do it," he said.
Talty has an entrepreneurial spirit and imports oils from Egypt and sells fragrances under the Nefertum brand with business partner and Broncos teammate Fletcher Baker.
"That's on the back-burner at the moment," he grinned.
"It keeps my mind away from football and that's good, but we have got games coming up and that is my main focus and priority."
Whichever way you look at it, life is coming up roses for Talty, and the smell of success is proving to be a pleasurable one.
